Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||
| Owner | City of Asheville | ||||||||
| Operator | Asheville Regional Airport Authority | ||||||||
| Serves | Asheville, North Carolina | ||||||||
| Location | Asheville, North Carolina[1] | ||||||||
| Opened | 1961 | ||||||||
Operating base for | Allegiant Air[2] | ||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,164 ft (660 m) | ||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°26′10″N 082°32′30″W / 35.43611°N 82.54167°W | ||||||||
| Website | flyavl | ||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||
FAA airport diagram | |||||||||
![]() Interactive map of Asheville Regional Airport | |||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||
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| Statistics | |||||||||
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| Source: Federal Aviation Administration,[3] BTS[4][5] |
Asheville Regional Airport (IATA: AVL, ICAO: KAVL, FAA LID: AVL) is a Class C airport near the town of Fletcher, North Carolina, 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Asheville. It is owned by the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority.[3] The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023 categorized it as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.[6] In 2023 it served an all-time record number of passengers for the airport, 2,246,411, an increase of 22.2% over 2022.[7]
The airport opened initially with a 6500-foot runway in 1961, replacing the former airport at 35°26′20″N 82°28′52″W / 35.439°N 82.481°W.
Asheville is a focus city for Allegiant Air, which bases Airbus A320 family aircraft and crew at the airport.[8]
History
[edit]Original airport
[edit]Asheville & Henderson Airport was opened in 1943 and initially operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[9] In 1948, Capital Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Piedmont Airlines served the former Asheville airport, all with Douglas DC-3s. Capital flew nonstop to Charlotte and Knoxville;[10] Delta flew nonstop to Greenville, SC, and Knoxville;[10] Piedmont flew nonstop to Tri-Cities, TN and Charlotte.[10]
Replacement
[edit]In 1959, the Asheville City Council purchased property partially located in neighboring Henderson County for the development of the airport. The North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill realigning the boundaries of Buncombe and Henderson to include the proposed airport property entirely in Buncombe, allowing Asheville to annex the site.[1] The new airport opened in January 1961.[11] The terminal building opened on June 7, 1961.[9]
In 1961, Capital Airlines flew Vickers Viscounts into the recently opened new airport with nonstop service to Atlanta, Tri-Cities, TN and Winston/Salem.[10] Capital was acquired by and merged into United Airlines which in 1963 flew Viscounts and Douglas DC-6Bs nonstop to Atlanta, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham and Washington D.C. National Airport.[10] In 1966 Delta had one daily flight from Asheville, a Douglas DC-7 nonstop to Knoxville and direct to Louisville and Chicago O'Hare Airport.[10] In 1966 Piedmont Fairchild F-27s and Martin 4-0-4s flew nonstop to Atlanta, Charlotte, Knoxville, Roanoke and Tri-Cities, TN.[10]
Piedmont Airlines introduced Boeing 727-100s in 1967, a typical routing being Atlanta - Asheville - Winston/Salem - Roanoke - New York LaGuardia Airport.[10] In 1969 United Boeing 737-200s flew nonstop to Atlanta and Raleigh/Durham while Delta McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s flew nonstop to Knoxville with same plane service to Louisville and Chicago O'Hare Airport.[10]

The April 1975 Official Airline Guide listed Delta, Piedmont and United serving Asheville.[12] By February 1985, Piedmont was the only remaining jet airline at Asheville, with Boeing 727-200 and Fokker F28 Fellowship nonstops from Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte and Roanoke and one-stop 727s from Denver, Miami and New York LaGuardia Airport, plus one-stop F28s from New York Newark Airport according to the Official Airline Guide.[12]
American Eagle began serving AVL from Nashville in 1986 and Raleigh-Durham using BAe Jetstream 31s and Saab 340s in 1987.[13][14] These flights ended in 1995 when American closed both hubs.
A Concorde supersonic transport (SST) visited AVL during a 1987 promotional tour and was snowed in overnight. Chartered Boeing 747s (operated by United Airlines) have visited, as has an Airbus A340 during the visit of Charles, Prince of Wales, to the nearby Biltmore Estate in 1996.
The April 1995 OAG listed six airlines at Asheville: American Eagle, Delta, Delta Connection (operated by both Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) and Comair), USAir (which had merged with Piedmont in 1989) and USAir Express.[12] Delta and Delta Connection (ASA) had a total of eight nonstops a day from Atlanta, Delta on McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and Delta Connection on ATR 72s and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias. Delta Connection (operated by Comair) also had three EMB-120 Brasilias a day from Cincinnati, a Delta hub. USAir and USAir Express had a total of nine nonstops a day from the USAir hub in Charlotte, USAir with Boeing 737-300s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s and USAir Express with Short 360s. USAir Express also had three nonstop Jetstream 31s a day from Raleigh/Durham, some stopping in Greenville/Spartanburg. Delta ended mainline flights to AVL in December 1995, with ASA taking over with British Aerospace 146 regional jets;[15] however, Delta currently operates mainline Boeing 717-200 service nonstop to its Atlanta hub.
In 1996, Midway Airlines briefly flew to its hub at Raleigh-Durham via Midway Connection partner Corporate Airlines Jetstream 31s.[16]
In April 2010, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama flew to Asheville aboard a Boeing C-32 for a weekend getaway.[17] In October 2011, President Obama landed in Asheville in the larger Boeing VC-25 to kick off his North Carolina and Virginia bus tour promoting his jobs bill. He gave a speech at the airport, and cited potential enhancements at the airport as part of the jobs push.[18] President Obama returned to Asheville on February 13, 2013, on the same aircraft for a brief visit and speech at a nearby manufacturing facility.[19]
In 2012, Asheville began a major airport improvement project, which started with bringing the runway up to FAA standards. In December 2015, a temporary runway was opened west of the existing runway (16/34).[20] The new runway entered service on November 5, 2020.[21]
2023 expansion
[edit]

In 2023, the airport began work on a multi-phase renovation and expansion of the terminal building.[22] Once the construction work is finished the terminal will be 150% larger than the current space with 12 rather than seven gates.[23] It will be two-story rather than single story when complete.[24] Construction on the new $55 million, 127-foot (39 m) air traffic control tower began in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in 2025.[25] The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026.[26][27] 175 million dollars in bonds was approved by the state treasurer for the project.[28] The total cost of the project has been cited as $400 million.[29][30][31] Jet bridges will be added as part of the project as currently manual ramps are pushed up to the planes during the renovation.[32]
Facilities
[edit]
Asheville Regional Airport covers 900 acres (360 ha) and has one asphalt runway measuring 8,002 ft × 150 ft (2,439 m × 46 m).[3][33]
The terminal building opened on June 7, 1961.[9] A $20 million expansion and renovation project began in 1987. The expansion project was completed in 1992, which resulted in an expansion of the ticket lobby, baggage claim area, and administrative office space. A second-level boarding area and jetways were constructed, as well as an atrium to the existing lobby. The second-level boarding area was removed and the ground-level boarding areas were expanded and renovated in 2003.[34] In 2009, $17.8 million of improvements were completed, including a guest services center, an additional baggage carousel, rental car desks, offices and security enhancements. In November 2017, a new 1,300-space parking deck opened in front of the airport terminal.[35]
The airport began working on another expansion in 2023.[22]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Statistics
[edit]Annual traffic
[edit]| Year | Passengers | % Change | Year | Passengers | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 579,443 | — | 2019 | 1,616,762 | |
| 2010 | 735,760 | 2020 | 704,972 | ||
| 2011 | 721,677 | 2021 | 1,428,266 | ||
| 2012 | 633,848 | 2022 | 1,838,793 | ||
| 2013 | 678,023 | 2023 | 2,246,411 | ||
| 2014 | 756,425 | 2024 | 2,174,125 | ||
| 2015 | 787,135 | 2025 | 2,240,877 | ||
| 2016 | 826,648 | 2026 | |||
| 2017 | 956,634 | 2027 | |||
| 2018 | 1,134,568 | 2028 |
Carrier shares
[edit]| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Market Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allegiant | 877,000 | 41.79% |
| 2 | Delta | 323,000 | 15.39% |
| 3 | PSA | 176,000 | 8.41% |
| 4 | Envoy | 164,000 | 7.82% |
| 5 | Endeavor | 127,000 | 6.05% |
| Other Airlines | 431,000 | 20.54% |
Top destinations
[edit]| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, Georgia | 182,360 | Delta |
| 2 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 132,250 | American |
| 3 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 91,160 | Allegiant |
| 4 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 68,110 | American, United |
| 5 | St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida | 65,950 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Orlando/Sanford, Florida | 64,970 | Allegiant |
| 7 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 52,010 | American |
| 8 | New York-LaGuardia, New York | 51,990 | American, Delta |
| 9 | Newark, New Jersey | 44,910 | Allegiant, United |
| 10 | Denver, Colorado | 33,410 | Allegiant, United |
Accidents and incidents
[edit]On July 19, 1967, Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a Boeing 727-100, collided in mid-air with a Cessna 310 just south of the airport in Hendersonville. The collision happened just moments after the 727 took off from the Asheville Airport. All 82 people on both planes were killed.
On March 14, 2003, a Cessna 177 Cardinal crashed into Old Fort Mountain after taking off from the airport. It killed author Amanda Davis, who was on a book tour promoting her first novel Wonder When You'll Miss Me, and her parents.[65][66]
On October 27, 2004, a Beechcraft Duke crashed about 0.8 of a mile off the departure end of Runway 34 after an apparent right engine failure, killing all four people on board.[67][68]
On May 4, 2007, a 1977 Cessna 182 en route to Asheville Regional Airport crashed near the airport, killing three Georgia men. Initial reports falsely said that rapper Jay-Z was on board.[69]
On October 6, 2017, a terrorist deposited a bag containing an improvised explosive device near the entrance to the Asheville Regional Airport terminal. The bomb was set to explode the following morning at 6:00 AM but was defused after being detected by bomb-sniffing dogs. The terrorist, Michael Christopher Estes, was arrested and faced two federal charges.[70][71][72] Estes pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of an explosive in an airport on January 12, 2018; the other charge was dismissed.[73]
On December 27, 2019, a small plane crashed in the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center parking lot adjacent to the airport shortly after takeoff. All five people on board survived with injuries and escaped before the plane exploded.[74]
On December 14, 2023, a Diamond DA-40 NG crash landed on Interstate 26 after declaring an emergency due to a total loss of engine power. 2 people were onboard the plane, a student pilot and their instructor. Both escaped the plane before it exploded and was engulfed in flames.[75]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "HOUSE BILL 1283" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. June 18, 1959. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Asheville Takes Off to Fun and Amusement" (Press release). Asheville, NC: Allegiant Travel Company. Acquire Media. September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for AVL" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- 1 2 "RITA BTS Transtats - AVL". transtats.bts.gov. March 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ↑ "AVL Airport Statistics for 2025" (PDF). flyavl.com. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ↑ "NPIAS Report 2019-2023 Appendix A" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 3, 2018. p. 75. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ↑ "Asheville Airport Sets All-Time Record Serving 2,246,411 Passengers in 2023". flyavl.com. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ↑ "FAQ" (PDF). allegiantair.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "History - Asheville Regional Airport". flyavl.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Airline Timetable Images". timetableimages.com.
- ↑ Airlift 2/61
- 1 2 3 "index". departedflights.com.
- ↑ "AABNAhub". Departedflights.com. December 14, 1995. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "AARDUhub". Departedflights.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Delta discontinuing flights to Panama City". Panama City News Herald. August 4, 1995. Retrieved July 13, 2018 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- ↑ "JIRDUhub". Departedflights.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ Baker, Peter (April 23, 2010). "Brief Getaway in Asheville for the Obamas". The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ Boyle, John (October 18, 2011). "Obama pushes jobs bill at Asheville airport, exhorts citizens to fight for it". The Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ North, John (March 9, 2013). "Obama touts jobs plan in Arden visit". Asheville Daily Planet. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Chen, Jessica (February 22, 2026). "Asheville Airport's 14-Year Runway Project Nears Finish Line". WNC Times. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Boyle, John (November 20, 2020). "Answer Man: Airport runway finished? Bigger planes a possibility?". The Asheville Citizen Times.
- 1 2 Parlier, Greg (July 12, 2023). "Sky-high growth: Asheville Regional Airport expanding as demand soars". Mountain Xpress. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Asheville Regional Airport breaks ground on AVL Forward, a landmark infrastructure project to build a new airport terminal for western North Carolina | Asheville Regional Airport". flyavl.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) - Terminal Modernization & Expansion". Gresham Smith. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ Karp, Aaron (January 30, 2023). "North Carolina's Asheville Airport Breaks Ground On $55 Million ATC Tower | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ King, Kimberly (August 11, 2023). "Asheville Regional Airport gears up for biggest expansion project in its history". WLOS. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "The future of the Asheville Regional Airport". AVLtoday. April 27, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Fast-Growing Asheville Regional Airport OK'd for $175 Million in Bonds to Expand Terminal | NC Treasurer". www.nctreasurer.com. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ Cox, Robert (August 11, 2023). "Asheville Regional Airport breaks ground on new $400 million passenger terminal". WSPA 7NEWS. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ Hackett, Laura (August 14, 2023). "Asheville Regional Airport breaks ground on $400 million expansion project". WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ Mwaniki, Peter (August 14, 2023). "Asheville Regional Airport commences $400M expansion project". Constructionreview. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "AVL Phase 2 Terminal Modernization". Arora Engineers. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ↑ "AVL airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Asheville Regional Airport Dedication Plaque - 2012". Airchive. 2CMedia. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Good news, travelers: AVL opens new parking deck". The Asheville Citizen Times. November 17, 2017.
- ↑ Weber, Anne; Rose, Dayten (May 10, 2023). "24 destinations with nonstop flights from Asheville Regional Airport". 6AM - AVLtoday. Asheville, NC. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Kaplan, Seth (May 19, 2020). "Responding To Demand, Allegiant Air Restores More Than Half Its Flights; Encourages But Doesn't Require Masks". www.wbur.org. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Kaplen, Seth (June 5, 2025). "ALLEGIANT & BREEZE ADD NEW NONSTOP FLIGHTS FROM KEY WEST". Florida Keys Weekly Newspapers. Key West, FL. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hofmann, Will (February 19, 2024). "Allegiant Air begins new nonstop flight from Asheville Airport to Minneapolis". The Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Hofmann, Will (December 1, 2023). "Asheville Airport announces new Allegiant Air nonstop service to 'magic' destination". The Asheville Citizen Times. The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Allegiant will begin flying out of Orlando International Airport next year". ClickOrlando. November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ↑ Cappetta, Michael (November 27, 2024). "Fly to Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, and More for Less Than $70 With Allegiant's Latest Deals". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Salerno, Michael (November 19, 2024). "This cheap airline just added flights in Phoenix. Here's where you can go". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Simonson, Amy (July 12, 2023). "Some Allegiant Air passengers and crew are injured in a turbulent Florida-bound flight, officials say". CNN. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Sardonia, Marisa (June 20, 2025). "Allegiant launches nonstop flights from Asheville to Washington, DC". WLOS. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Seaton, Iris (March 7, 2025). "Cheapest Asheville Airport airline costs 20 cents per mile: See nonstop destinations". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Lunsford, Dawn Gilbertson and Mackensy (January 15, 2020). "Allegiant adds 4 new flights from Asheville to Chicago, Boston, Texas". The Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Dillon (March 7, 2018). "Asheville Regional Airport: Allegiant Air adds nonstop flights to Denver". The Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Kepley-Steward, Kristy (June 29, 2021). "Allegiant to offer new non-stop flight out of Asheville". ABC13 News. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- 1 2 Gladden, Alex (November 25, 2024). "Airport workers strike in Charlotte. What impact on Asheville flights?". The Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- 1 2 "American Airlines launching nonstop Asheville flights to Boston, Chicago, D.C. in June". WLOS. February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Llerena, Rey (November 7, 2025). "FAA flight reductions to impact major airports; GSP, Asheville impacts unclear". WYFF. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Harrington, Adam (December 29, 2025). "American Airlines to add more than 100 departures from Chicago early next year - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, WRCB (November 2, 2018). "American to start non-stop flights to Philadelphia from CHA". Local3News.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Smith, Christian (October 17, 2022). "Asheville airport on pace for record-breaking passenger numbers, best year ever". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ "American is adding 6 new routes from New York as part of its alliance with JetBlue — see the full list". Business Insider.
- 1 2 Pridgen, Dee (June 3, 2025). "AVL Forward takes flight: North concourse to open June 25 - Asheville's 828 News NOW". Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Kompanik, Noreen (October 31, 2025). "Delta Air Lines Adds New Nonstop Flights for 2026". Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ Saylor, Jennifer (September 19, 2016). "Delta turns Atlanta flight around feet from Asheville Airport runway". WLOS. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ↑ Russell, George Fabe (February 2, 2026). "Asheville airport adds direct flight to Austin, TX. See when it starts". Asheville Citizen Times. Asheville, NC. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Growing airline announces nonstop flights starting in North Carolina". September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- 1 2 Barrows, Kari (May 23, 2023). "Asheville Regional Airport announces new, nonstop flight to Denver". WLOS. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ↑ Rheki, Tanja (January 26, 2017). "United adds nonstop direct flight to Newark from Asheville Regional Airport". WLOS. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ "AVL Airport Annual Activity Reports 2009-Present". flyavl.com. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Luther, Claudia (March 24, 2003). "Amanda Davis, 32; 1st-Time Novelist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ↑ "Amanda Davis, 32, Novelist, Short-Story Writer and Teacher". The New York Times. March 18, 2003. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ↑ "ATL05FA013 NTSB report 27 October, 2004". ntsb.gov. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident 27-OCT-2004 Beechcraft 60 Duke N611JC". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ↑ "Jay-Z in a Plane Crash-- NOT TRUE". TMZ. May 4, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ↑ Charlie May (October 11, 2017). "A thwarted airport bombing receives little national press — and some activists cry foul". Salon. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ↑ United States of America v. Michael Christopher Estes, Criminal Complaint (United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina October 8, 2017), Text.
- ↑ "Complaint: Airport bomb suspect wanted 'to fight a war on US soil'". Asheville Citizen-Times. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ↑ United States of America v. Michael Christopher Estes, Judgment in a Criminal Case (United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina December 6, 2018), Text.
- ↑ Moshtaghian, Artemis; Asmelash, Leah (December 28, 2019). "Four injured after plane crashes outside of Asheville Regional Airport". CNN. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ↑ "Aviation Investigation Final Report". NTSB. December 17, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official website

- "Asheville Regional Airport" (PDF). at North Carolina DOT airport guide
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective August 6, 2026
- FAA Terminal Procedures for AVL, effective August 6, 2026
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KAVL
- ASN accident history for AVL
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KAVL
- FAA current AVL delay information
